Sweet Medicine
by lil'hp fan124
Summary: Hisoka gets sick and takes the day off from work. He receives a surprise visit from Tsuzuki, who is determined to take care of him. One-shot.


Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Yami no Matsuei, since it belongs to the amazing Mastsushita-sensei. I am merely using her characters for my own amusement.

A/N: I haven't written anything for a while so I'm sorry if I'm a little rusty. This was originally a bit longer, but I decided to cut it short because I started losing my train of thought towards the end. Anyway, please enjoy and don't forget to R&R!

_'Italic'_ are the character's thoughts or emphasis on a specific word

Daijoubu- It's all right

Aa- Yeah

Gomen- I'm sorry

Baka- Idiot

Arigatou- Thank you

Kami- God

* * *

(Hisoka's POV)

I opened my eyes and slowly blinked as I heard my alarm go off.

_'So tired. . .'_

I rolled onto my side and blindly reached out towards my bedside table. I gave a small sigh of relief as my alarm stopped and my room became quiet again. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I sat up. I cringed as my head sharply throbbed with pain. Ugh. Why the hell did I feel like I had just gotten hit by a train or something?

I leaned over and grabbed the glass of water I had left on my nightstand. My throat felt unbelievably dry. I took a sip of water and nearly dropped the glass. I raised a hand to my throat, wincing with pain as I swallowed the water. I quickly set my glass down. Never mind. I'd rather be thirsty than be in pain every time I drank something.

I started as my alarm went off again. I briefly closed my eyes and slowly rubbed my temple as my headache seemed to worsen with the noise. I sighed and shut my alarm off. I really needed to get up and start getting ready for work. I made a face. But the thought of going to work made me want to crawl under my covers and go back to sleep. I really didn't feel good.

_'Maybe I should just skip work?'_

I bit my lip and thought about it for a second. I could probably get away with it. I hardly ever took a day off, not unless it was something serious like when I needed to recover after a case or an injury. And it wasn't as if I was skipping work for no reason. Besides, going to work wasn't going to make me feel better and would probably only worsen my mood. I pushed my covers off and shifted towards the edge of my bed.

I needed to call Tatsumi and tell him that I wasn't going to work today, that way he wouldn't think I was slacking off or something. I stood up and immediately felt lightheaded. I staggered and quickly clutched my bedpost as I managed to steady myself. My vision cleared after a moment and I padded into the sun lit hallway towards the phone. I picked up the receiver and dialed the office. No doubt Tatsumi was already at work, so there was no point in calling his house number. I hung up the phone after a few minutes and gave a sigh of relief. Tatsumi had been surprisingly understanding and had said I could have the next few days off until I felt better. He assured me he would tell Tsuzuki about my condition when he came in later.

_'Tsuzuki. . .'_

I needed to tell him I wasn't going in, that way he wouldn't worry so much. I dialed Tsuzuki's number and waited for him to pick up. I gave up after the 8th ring and hung up. Of course Tsuzuki was probably still asleep. And knowing him, he wasn't going to get up for at least another hour or two. I sighed. Whatever. Tsuzuki could sleep all morning for all I cared because there was no way I was going over to his house to wake him up.

I went back to my bedroom and collapsed onto my bed. I crawled under my covers and drifted back to sleep.

-o-

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, my head throbbing with pain.

_'What's that noise?'_

Something was ringing. Was it the phone? Or maybe it was the doorbell? I blinked a few times as my mind tried to comprehend where the noise was coming from. I couldn't think straight. My mind felt like it was in some sort of a fog.

I sighed and slid further beneath my covers. Oh well. If the phone was ringing, then whoever was calling could just leave a message. And if someone was at the door, then they could stand there and ring the doorbell all afternoon for all I cared. Because there was no way in hell that I was getting up to answer it. I turned my head and buried my face against my pillow before dozing off again.

-o-

I stirred and became dimly aware that someone was stroking my hair. I turned my head and unconsciously leaned into their touch. I heard a voice as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Hey, you're finally up,"

_'That's funny,'_ I thought sleepily. _'That voice sounded a lot like Tsuzuki's.'_

Wait, what?

I blinked as my vision cleared and the room came into focus. Tsuzuki was sitting in a chair he had placed next to my bed, his black trenchcoat hanging on the back of the chair. I quickly sat up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "How did you--" I stopped and winced as my head protested sitting up so fast. I looked up as Tsuzuki brushed a few strands of hair away from my face.

"Well it's not that hard," Tsuzuki smiled, leaning towards me. "You did give me a spare key."

Which I now regretted doing.

"Tsuzuki, just because I gave you a spare key doesn't mean you can barge in here whenever you want to," I snapped.

"But Hisoka, isn't that what you do all the time?" Tsuzuki asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I blushed and looked away. Tsuzuki was right. How many times had I gone to his house after a particularly bad nightmare? How many times had I crawled into his bed, trembling, seeking his warmth and comfort? Which Tsuzuki would always provide, no questions asked. How many times had I fallen asleep in his arms, comforted simply by the fact that I was with him?

"Shut up," I muttered. "That's different. That's. . ."

He tilted his head. "That's what?"

I sighed. "Just forget it."

Tsuzuki chuckled before he leaned in and kissed me.

"Stop it," I said, pulling away. "You'll get sick too."

"Daijoubu," he smiled. "I don't really mind."

I rolled my eyes. "You're just looking for an excuse not to go to work."

Tsuzuki grinned. "Maybe. But if I was sick, you would come and visit me, right?"

"I don't think I'd have much of a choice." Not unless I wanted Tsuzuki to accidentally burn his house down or something.

"Are you sure you're really sick?" Tsuzuki teased, playfully ruffling my hair. "You seem perfectly fine to me."

I gave him an annoyed look and pushed his hand away. "Do you honestly think I'm making this up?"

"Soka, don't be like that," he chided, lightly pressing his forehead against mine. "I never said you were, I was just--" Tsuzuki stopped and pulled away, frowning. I immediately felt his emotions shift and could feel his concern rolling off in waves.

"You have a fever," Tsuzuki said, worried. He brushed my bangs aside and felt my forehead. I unconsciously leaned forward as I felt his cool hand against my skin. I blinked as he pulled his hand away.

"I think I bought something that will help lower your fever." Tsuzuki bent down and I heard the crinkling of plastic as he began to rummage through a bag.

"Bought?" I repeated.

"Aa," he nodded, lifting the bag onto his lap. Curious, I leaned back against my pillows and watched as Tsuzuki laid the contents of the bag on my bed. Aspirin. Cough drops. Tissues. Throat lozenges. It seemed Tsuzuki had bought nearly half of the pharmacy, buying anything and everything that would make a sick person feel better.

"Tatsumi just said you were sick, so I wasn't really sure what to buy." Tsuzuki explained and smiled sheepishly. "Gomen, I think I got a little carried away."

I didn't reply as my gaze flickered over the boxes, packets and bottles that covered my bedspread. It was nice of Tsuzuki to do all of this, but it really wasn't necessary. Some of these medicines weren't exactly cheap. And judging by how much he had bought, I could only imagine what the total cost must have been. Which didn't make a lot of sense in the first place, considering Tsuzuki was usually short of money.

_'Where did he get the money to pay for all of this?' _I thought, glancing at the prices marked on some of the items.

"Tsuzuki," I said, slowly. "How did you pay for all of this?"

"Hmm?" Tsuzuki paused and glanced at me. "Oh I convinced Tatsumi to give me an advance."

"A what?"

"An advance," he repeated. "That means that I get next month's pay this month."

"I know what it is, baka," I snapped, feeling my stomach clench. Why did Tsuzuki have to be so stupid sometimes? He needed that pay to support himself and instead he had used it to buy all of this medicine for me. When I was the last person he needed to waste his money on. It annoyed me how unbelievably selfless he was at times, putting everyone else's needs above his own.

"Give it back," I said, quietly.

Tsuzuki blinked. "What?"

"Give it back," I repeated and motioned towards the assortment of medicine on my bed. "Just go to the pharmacy and return this stuff you so can get your money back."

"Hisoka, you're sick. I'm not going to return some medicine that you need to get better."

"Tsuzuki, I don't need any of this," I pushed a cluster of boxes towards him. "You don't have to waste your money on me."

"I don't mind buying any of this," Tsuzuki said, patiently. "And it's not wasting if it's going to help you."

"That's not the point!" I snapped, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt and frustration. "It's not about whether you minded buying this stuff or not."

Tsuzuki looked at me, uncertainty in his eyes. I could tell he knew I was upset. But he was having a hard time figuring out why because I wasn't making myself clear. "Hisoka," he said, slowly. "I don't understand why you're mad at me all of a sudden. Do you want me to leave? Because I can just go back to work if it makes you feel any better." He stood up to leave.

My heart fluttered in a panic. "No," I said quickly, grabbing his wrist. I shook my head. "Tsuzuki, that's not it. I-I'm not mad at you."

Tsuzuki stared at me, his amethyst eyes meeting mine. He held my gaze for a second before sitting down again. I let go of his wrist and stared at my covers, feeling uncomfortable at the sudden tension between us.

"Hisoka, I know something's bothering you," Tsuzuki sighed. "But I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong."

"That's what's wrong," I looked back at him. "What you said just now is what's wrong." I watched as a look of confusion crossed my partner's face. "Tsuzuki, I just don't understand. Why do you insist on helping me so much? You don't have to do all of these nice things for me. I never asked you to."

When I was alive, no one had ever been as kind or as caring as Tsuzuki was with me. I had learned to rely on no one but myself. But that changed the day I met Tsuzuki. His kindness and caring nature still confused me beyond end and I found myself constantly fighting an internal battle. Part of me accepted Tsuzuki's caring nature and fully embraced his kindness and affection, while another part of me insisted on pushing Tsuzuki away.

I dropped my gaze and stared at my lap, my hair hiding my face. My throat tightened as I felt tears of frustration prick the corner of my eyes. I bit my lip and quickly blinked the tears away, furious at myself for being so childish. I hated myself for being so weak. Why did I have to act like such an idiot in front of Tsuzuki?

"Why do you care so much?" I finally asked, my voice wavering. "I. . .I don't deserve any of this."

"That's not true," Tsuzuki said, sharply. I paused, startled by his tone of voice. I felt the mattress dip slightly as Tsuzuki sat at the edge of my bed. His hand lightly caressed my cheek before turning my head towards him. "Listen to me," he said softly. "Everyone, dead or alive, deserves to be treated with kindness. That includes you. So don't ever think that you don't deserve it."

"Tsuzuki. . ." I blinked as Tsuzuki gently brushed away some tears from my eyes. Tears that I hadn't realized had been threatening to fall. Tsuzuki slipped his arms around me and I found myself pressed up against him as he hugged me. I stiffened for a second but then relaxed in his arms as I felt his warmth and affection wash over me. My heart fluttered as he tilted my head towards him.

"Hisoka, the reason I care so much about you is because I love you," Tsuzuki smiled. "And I don't want anything to happen to you because you're so important to me." His hand strayed from my face as he began to play with my hair absentmindedly. "Of course I'm going to worry about you if you're sick. Why wouldn't I?"

I bit my lip and didn't reply. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him. Resting my head against his chest, I listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat. "Arigatou," I said softly.

I half-expected Tsuzuki to ask what I was thanking him for. But surprisingly, Tsuzuki remained silent. Instead, he placed his arms around me and hugged me tightly. And in that moment, I immediately knew that there was no reason for me to explain myself. That there was no reason for Tsuzuki to ask why I was thanking him. . .because he already knew. Because the moment he wrapped his arms around me, I knew he understood. I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck.

"Kami you're warm," Tsuzuki breathed. He gently grasped my shoulders and pushed me away, his expression worried as he peered at my face. I watched as his eyes fell to the spread of medicine. "Here," Tsuzuki handed me a box. "Take one of these."

I opened the box and pulled out a sheet of pills that was divided into individual doses. I tore off a dose and began to open the smaller packet.

"Wait!" Tsuzuki's hand shot out as he snatched the pills away.

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You should eat something before you take that."

"Tsuzuki, just give them--"

"But you'll get a stomachache if you don't eat anything!" Tsuzuki protested.

I rolled my eyes. "I've taken medicine without eating anything. I'll be fine."

"Food will help you keep your energy though," he replied. "Besides, you haven't eaten anything all day have you?"

I blushed and didn't reply. Tsuzuki knew me too well. He smiled as he saw my reaction.

"I figure you hadn't, that's why I brought you lunch," Tsuzuki held up a bag and I caught a faint whiff of miso soup.

"Tsuzuki, you didn't have--" I began.

"I got you soup because I wasn't sure if you'd be in the mood for anything else," Tsuzuki continued, cutting me off. He peered into the bag and frowned. "It's probably cold by now though." He smiled, his expression suddenly brightening. "That's okay. I'll just go and warm it up for you!"

I paled. "Um. . ." My kitchen was the last place I wanted Tsuzuki to be. Let alone anywhere near the stove. "It's not working. The stove, I mean. So you won't be able to use it."

Lies, all lies. My stove was working perfectly fine. I just didn't want Tsuzuki to go anywhere near it, or the kitchen for that matter. Not unless I wanted said room to go up in flames.

"Then I'll just use the microwave," Tsuzuki got up and turned to leave.

I quickly shook my head. That's fine. I don't mind having it cold."

"Don't be silly," Tsuzuki said cheerfully. "Soup tastes better when it's warm not cold."

My heart fluttered in a panic as he began to move towards the door. "Tsuzuki, wait!" I reached out and managed to grab a handful of his shirt, tugging him back.

Tsuzuki turned and gave me a curious look. "What's wrong?"

I faltered for a split second as I tried to thing of something. Anything just as long as it got him to stay. "Don't leave," I insisted, tugging his shirt. "Please?"

Tsuzuki's gaze softened. "I'm not going anywhere," He gently pried my hand away.

"But--"

"I'm just going downstairs." Tsuzuki assured me, squeezing my hand.

"But Tsuzuki I don't--"

He flashed me a warm smile. "Be right back!"

"Tsuzuki!"

Tsuzuki ignored my protests and I watched helplessly as he left the room.

~Owari

* * *

A/N: Haha I like how the ending for this came out. I think I have too much fun embarrassing poor Hisoka though. I can't help it though, he's so cute! Please remember the reviews are greatly appreciated. Arigatou gozaimasu!

P.S. For those Yami no Matsuei fans who haven't heard Volume 12 of the manga is finally going to get published! I nearly made my sister go deaf because I screamed so loudly when I read this the other day on ANN. Here's the link: .com/news/2010-01-17/descendants-of-darkness-manga-returns-after-8-years


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